Method of forming a pouring spout blank



Nov. 27, 1951 s. GOLDSTEIN METHOD OF FORMING A POURING SPOUT BLANK FiledMarch 19, 19 48 INVENTOR. Saul Goldsieiw.

After/Leg Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT QF'FECE METHOD OFFORMING A POURING SPOUT BLANK 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to the combination of novel improvemen sin waxed liquid holding containers formed from one folded sheet ofmaterial with a novel pouring spout therefor and the method ofintegrally forming and making the spout from only two thicknesses of thefolded container, to thereby accommodate the container to manufacturewith standard carton forming machinery of the milk carton type.

Heretofore, pouring spouts for liquid containing cartons have beenunsatisfactory for two main reasons, first they are inefficient inoperation because they leak and drip, are unsanitary, do not properlyserve as a closure to seal the container once it is opened, and are veryperishable and deformable due to the fact that they are not properlysupported by a rigid fulcrum point; and second all prior art .spoutarrangements if made stronger and less leaky become too bulky formanufacture in the present stand ard milk carton machinery, whichrequires all sidewall folds to be kept at two thicknesses of material.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide from onesheet of material a liquid holding container with an integrally formedpouring spout, wherein all elements of the container and spout areformed in two thicknesses or less of the material.

Another object is to provide in a carton for milk or the like, a rigidfulcrum point across the bottom of a pouring spout formed from onethickness of the carton material, to thereby contribute to the strength,rigidity and efficiency of the pouring spout.

Still another object is to develop a pouring spout adapted toeffectively cooperate with a sealing tongue formed in the carton wall toserve as a closure for the carton after initial use.

A further object is to provide a novel method of making pouring spoutsfrom two thicknesses of material to form a positive fulcrum point andliquid sealing closure after each use of the spout.

A further object is to so shape, so proportion and crease a planesurfaced single sheet of material as to form a carton blank with apouring spout, which at no point when it is folded exceeds a two plythickness at its side wall flap sections.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing like parts throughout the sev- 2 eral views are givenlike numerals and are thus identified in the following detaileddescription:

Figure l is an inside View of the blank before it is formed into acontainer.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container assembled and waxedbefore the seal is broken for use.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the sealing tab removedfrom the tongue prior to pulling out the spout.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the spout pulled out for pouring.

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view showing the cooperation betweenthe spout and tongue for closing the container after use.

Figure 6 is a modification of the present invention showing a top planview of the novel spout of the present invention applied to a disc typebottle cap.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 illustrates a blank fromwhich the container and its pouring spout are formed.

The blank is formed from one sheet of material. Hi, such as cardboard orthe like. The cardboard material is forrned into four sidewall sectionsi2, it, Hi and is by side score lines 16, top score lines ll and bottomscore lines it and into a fifth pouring spout section [9, which alsoincludes a continuation 20 of the top score lines 11.

The pouring spout wall section it serves to form part of the containertop as well as the side thereof and is formed with a trapezoidal cut outsection or blank 2!, whereby there is formed a trapezoidal opening 22.This opening is bounded by a cutting line 5E3, a pair of cutting linesat and 32 of equal lengths each starting at one end of line 853 anddiverging from the other. From each of the other ends of lines it and 82starts one of a pair of colinear cutting lines 83 and 34, respectively,and each extends in parallelism to line 89. From each of the adjacentinner ends of lines 83, i and perpendicular thereto extends one of apair of parallel cutting lines 85, 86 toward line 86. From each of theends of lines 85, 86 extends a line 32 83 respectively in parallelism toone of the diverging lines 8!, 82. Score line 89 is colinear with scoreline 211. For example, this section It comprises a side wall formingsection A and a top wall forming section B. lhe blank 2| in turn istrimmed to form the present novel pouring spout blank, which comprises arectangular body strip 24 divided by a portion of the score line 2c intoan upper section C and a lower section D. The upper section is definedby side score lines 26 and 21 and by a top arcuate or curved edge 28,which edge is free to swing in the trapezoidal opening 22. The lowersection D is defined by a pair of right angle cut-out portions 29 and 35at each side which are removed in some manner to afford clearance forthe inward movement of the spout wings 3|, 32 to spout-forming position,the score line 20 at the top, and the base is formed as an integral partof the bottom edge of the trapezoidal opening 22.

Secured to the upper section A of the body strip 24 alon the score lines26 and 21 are wing-like diverging members 3| and 32, which are free ofthe side walls of the opening 22 and therefore free to swing with theupper section C of the body strip 24 in the said opening. The section Dis fixed after carton assembly as hereinafter explained.

The top of the container is made from rectangular panels 34, 35, 36 and3? formed by side score lines 38, score lines I1, and upper score lines39 above which are folded flaps 43, 4|, 42, 43, 44 and 45.

The top rectangular sections 35 and 3'| are each formed with diagonalscore lines 46, which meet or converge to a point at the score lines 39.From this point there is another score line transverse each of the flaps4| and 43. The top portion is folded along the aforementioned scorelines as is generally well known in the art to provide the stapled topportion 4'1, as shown in Figure 2. However, this top fold isdistinguishable from the prior art by the addition thereto of the wallI9 and its sections A and B. This upper section B of the pouring spoutsection l9 folds inside the carton and over along the score line 20.When thus folded the upper section C of the pouring spout blank lines upwith an opening 50 formed in the top wall 34 equal in size to the areaof said section C. As the sides and top are folded together, the bottomflap panels 53, 54, 55 and 56 are also folded, lapped over and gluedtogether. After this the entire carton is dipped in .wax as is wellknown to the art.

Before the actual dispensing operation takes place, there is a seal tabsecured by the container material along the perforations 52 to a tongue53 integral with a wall of the container mounted over the opening 50.This tab 5| is separable by the operator along perforations 52, whichwhen pulled off leaves a depending tapered tongue 53. This tongue lapsdown over or under the arcuate edge 28 of the spout section C when it isclosed and forms therewith a fluid closure seal, as shown in Figure 5.Also, the lower edge of the opening 50 is in line with the score line I!of side wall l2 and serves as a steady fulcrum edge E at the score line20 of upper section C of the spout blank.

Method of forming and folding the container and spout for operation a iIn making the present novel container and spout, a blank sheet is firstcut out by a stencil pattern shaped for the blank. After this the scorelines are marked on the blank, the flaps cut out, and then the opening53, tab 5|, and tongue forming perforations 52 are made. Following thisthe pouring spout is formed out of the material cut from the trapezoidalopening 22 into its final structural form as hereinbefore described.

The next step is to glue certain predetermined 4 parts and sections ofthe blank, so that when folded all glued surfaces are covered and sothat no glue is applied to wing-like members 3| and 32 or the upperswinging section C and winglike members 3| and 32 of the body part 24 ofthe spout blank. This selective gluing of the side of the spout wall I9is accomplished by masking over the parts C, 3| and 32 and then coatingthe outer side of the remaining surface of panel 19, so that when it isfolded the glue coated side presses against the inner surface of thewall 34 of the container. To provide a tight seal extra flaps 58 and 59may be included in the form of panel l9. Glue is also applied to theinner face of bottom wall 53 and the outer faces of bottom walls 54, 55and 56. Thus when folded on the usual former these glue coated parts aresealed together and the part C of the spout lines up back of the tab 5|in the opening 50 with the parts 3| and 32 fiat but unglued on each sidethereof.

The final step is to dip the glued container in wax to provide a leakproof container and to give added rigidity thereto.

Operation The use of the container is probably obvious from theforegoing description, but briefly to use the same, tab 5| is pulled offalong the perforations 52, thereby exposing the bottom of section C ofthe spout blank and leaving the cooperative sealing and guiding tongue53.

Next the tongue is raised and the thumb nail engaged over the areuateedge 28 of part C, whereupon the same is pulled forward out throughopening 5|]. As this is done the wings 3| and 32 fold or hinge along thescore lines 26 and 21 due to the pressure developed thereon by the sideedges of the opening 5|], until their rear top edges contact with theupper edge of the said opening in notches on either side of the taperedtongue 53. The tongue is tapered to serve as a pilot member for thewing-like members 3| and 32.

During this opening action no buckling or deforming of the wall l2 or 34occurs, because all strain is taken up at the fulcrum edge E at the topof wall l2 and bottom of opening 58. The development of a rigid hingepoint in a container of this type has long been sought without success.All rigid fulcrum points heretofore having been made in separate piecesor with more than two thicknesses.

Another embodiment of the present invention for use with theconventional glass milk bottle is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of thedrawing and comprises upper and lower discs of cardboard 60 and GIformed from an elongated folded over cardboard strip, not shown. Thesediscs may be stamped out of the strip so that a small portion 63 of thefolded portion serves as a connecting hinge.

Prior to formation of the discs or after they are cut depending upon themethod of making practiced, the lower disc or fold portion is out out toform an opening 64 with a tab 65 therein secured at one end byperforations 66. The perforations 66 define the tapered end of a tongue61. Thus the tab 55 may be pulled off along the perforations 65, tothereby leave the tapere tongue in part of the opening 64.

In the opposed fold portion or lower disc 6| is stamped, out orotherwise suitably formed a trapezoidal opening 68. The material stampedout from this opening is formed into a novel pouring spout blank 69.This blank comprises a rectangular body strip formed into two sectionsand D', a pair of wing-like members II and 12 attached to the section 0'alon score lines 13 and I4, and right angled cut-out portions 15 and 16on each side of the section D.

The final assembly of the two discs 60 and 6| by gluing them together isdone so that parts 1|, 12 and C are free from any contact with a gluedsurface and are free to swing over the lower edge 15 of the opening 64in disc 60. This edge serves as a fulcrum point over which the dividingscore line 16 between sections C and D may pivot. Thus the section D' isfixed as a part of the two discs, while section 0 is free to swing outthrough the openin 64 over the edge 15 and the wing-like members H and12 are automatically folded along the score lines 13 and T4 to form apouring spout.

The top edge ll of section C may be curved to receive a fingernail tofacilitate actuation of the spout, and the tapered tongue 61 is soshaped and positioned as to serve as a pilot member during the openingout of the spout and as a cooperating closure part when the section 0'is pushed in flush with the plane surface of the disc 60 after eachpouring operation.

Preferably after gluing the discs together as hereinbefore explained,the entire assembly in its finished cut out form is dipped into a moltenwax or parafi'in solution. This gives the spout portion added rigidityand prevents leakage and absorption of foreign materials and moisture.This is particularly advantageous for door step deliveries in rain orsnow, as no moisture can seep in and the caps are very readily washedoff due to the smooth finish of the wax.

While only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, various changes and modifications, which will now appear tothose skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scopeof the invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claimfor a definition of the limits of the invention.

Iclaim:

The method of forming a blank for a liquid pouring spout and comprisingthe operation of cutting a sheet of material along the followingstraight lines: a straight line, along two equal straight lines eachstarting at an end of the first line and diverging from each other,along two colinear lines starting each from another end of the divergentlines and having adjacent ends spaced from one another and beingparallel to the first line, along two second parallel lines eachextending toward said first straight line from one of the spaced ends ofthe colinear lines and perpendicular thereto, along two diverging lineseach starting at an end of one of the parallel lines and ending at oneof the colinear lines and parallel to one of the first pair of diverginglines, thereby producing a pair of out out portions of the shape of aright angled triangle; of scoring the sheet exterior to the figurebounded by the preceding cutting lines along two second colinear linesspaced at their adjacent ends and with said adjacent ends meeting saidfirst pair of diverging lines, scoring within the figure on a linecolinear with the first two score lines and through the ends of theparallel cutting lines nearest the first cutting line, and scoring alongtwo parallel lines each colinear with one of the parallel cutting linesand perpendicular to the first score line, and of removin the cut-outportions of the shape of right angled triangles.

SAUL GOLDSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,029,747 Venning et al Feb. 4,1936 2,079,026 Moir May 4, 1937 2,290,504 Sullivan July 21, 19422,323,447 Chase July 6, 1943 2,369,716 Coghill Feb. 20, 1945 2,373,744Coghill Mar. 17, 1945 2,444,143 Palmer June 29, 1948

